Safety means for motor vehicles



3@1558: 4 ATTORNEY Dec; 16, 1930. G. SANTANGELO 1,735,598

SAFETY MEANS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed May 51. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 G/USEPPE JHNT/YNGELO INVENTOR Dec. 16, 1930. VG. SANTANGE LO 1,785,598

SAFETY MEANS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed May 31, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 --mmlmlum-- INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1930 PATENT OFFICE GIUSEPPE SANTANGELO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY MEANS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Application filed May 31, 1930. Serial No. 458,671.

' This invention relates to safety means for motor vehicles and more particularly to fend- ,ers designed to protect careless pedestrians.

One object of the invention is to provide a fender for an automobile which, when hing'edly mounted to the front portion thereof, may be normally or usually extended in horizontal position to act as a bumper for preventing injury when one car collides with another, and which, when lowered, will act "as a safety device for preventing injury to "a pedestrian who would'otherwise be struck by the automobile or crushed under the wheels or by low-hung-parts on the chassis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of thisHCharacter which is of simple and inexpensive construction, and which may be easily and quickly operated by the driver of an automobile to prevent the wheels or the bumper thereof from striking 1 a person in the event of a collision.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter specifically pointed out, or will become apparent, as the specification proceeds.

Withthe above indicated objects in view, the'invention resides in certain novel construction and combinations and arrangement of parts, clearly described in the following specification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which latter show embodiments of the invention as at present preferred.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of an automobile, showing said embodiment in full lines 1n lowered position, and in dot and dash lines in raised or normal position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of such automobile and embodiment.

1 Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the interior of such automobile and illustrating more particularly the operating means under control of the driver, forming a feature of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing cable drums and winding means illustrated on a smaller scale in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a elevational detail view, looking toward the left in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 6- 6 of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters are applied to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now in more detail to said drawings, a fender body or structure 10, constructed say of a steel sheet, suitably reinforced if deemed necessary, such reinforcement (not shown) then preferably being at the back or underside thereof, is shaped as seen from a comparison of Figs. 1 and 2. Desirably the front or swingable end thereof is equipped with a buffer edging 11, of say soft rubber;

the opposite end of the fender carrying hinge eyes 12 by which the fender is pivotally mounted on a metal rod 13, here the usual rod joining the spring ends 14 just ahead of the radiator 15 of the automobile. It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the fender is roughly E- shaped, due to the hinge-eye carrying tongues 12, and curved extensions 10a which provide safety coverings for the fronts of the forward wheels 17 The fenderlO is longitudinally bent 'at 18 as shown best in Fig. 1, in order that the main portion thereof will be more nearly parallel with the roadway. when elevated. Two eyes 19 secured to the fender 10 anchor the forward ends of a pair of singlestretch cables 20, which gov straight back through hood and cowl and alongside the engine, to the drums shown in Figs. 3 to 6 and hereinafter described. If a front bumper 21 as shown in Fig. 1 is present, such bumper acts as a stop to hold the fender 10 in a horizontal position when elevated. In the event that the new fender is installed upon a car not already supplied with a bumper, two L- shaped metal plates (not shown) secured to the sides of the frame or otherwise, may serve as stops 5.

The cables 20 are rearwardly upwardly inclined, and as aforesaid run straight back from the eyes 19 on the opposite sides of the engine thence through suitable openings 20 (Fig. 3) in the upwardly inclined floor-board section 24 (Figs. 1 and 3).

In order to provide a means for manually raising the fender 20 and quickly lowering the same from the drivers seat, the following parts are provided:

A shaft journaled in blocks 28a formed integral with base plates 28 and secured to floor-section 24, has fixed thereon twin drums 30 each having a similar wind facilitating thread as shown. Ends of cables 20 are suitably secured to these drums. v

For the purpose of winding upthe cables on the drums, thereby to raise the fender'lO, a lever 32, is pivotally mounte'd to anintegral extension 28?) of a base-plate 28. A pawl or dogS is pivotally inounte don -said =lev'er 32, and is actuated by means of a rod which is pivotally connected at itsupperendto a re lease lever 36, and at its lower end to dog 34; an expansile spring 37 'sleeving the lower portion of rod 35. This dog-engages. a ratchet 39 also fast on shaft 25. To raise the fender, the lever 32 is pulled toward the driver, the dog 34 engaging said ratchet; and this causes the shaft 25, carrying the two drums, to revolve in the direction of the arrows indicated in Fig. 6. On the driver nextforwardlythrusting lever 32 away from him, the spring 87 permits the dog 3t to click idly back over the ratchet, the latter meanwhile being held fast by a second'dogi40. Relatively few of such backand forth, movements of the lever v32 will wind sufficient cable on the drums to raise the fenderlO to the desired horizontalposition. As

just explained the dog 40 engages the ratchet 39while the latter'is being turned by the lever,

and so as to prevent said ratchet from turning in the opposite direction in response' to the weight of the fender. hen the fender has been elevatedtothe desired. position, the dog 40 may be manually flipped away from the ratchet to free, the'fender: to drop, instantly and automatically, by its own mere weight.

The fender, when in itsnelevated position,

may serve asa bumper'for theautomobi'le the fender being prevented from rising a'bove the horizontal position by means of the stops described hereinabov-e, and being suspended at the desired height by means. of the cables and the wound-up condition of the drums. While a the automobile is in motion, and when the parting-from the invention; theref0re, fI do not wish-to be limited to the precise-arrangements shown and described, whi'ch areas aforesaid, by way of illustration merely. In

' other words, the scope ofprotection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended 3a dog tofengagesaid ratchet and a lever to ratchet.

" nature.

ralityrofiicables for raising and lowering said fender, said cables being secured at one end to the 'fender and attheir opposite ends to said drums, a ratchet wheelcarried by said shaft,

actuate said dog for raising saidplatemember.

2. A vehicle safety fen-der including La fender hingedly mounted on the frontlend of an automobile, hinge eyes integral witl1 said plate for mounting same, a shaft mounted on the upwardlyinclined-pedal section of the fioor board of the automobile,a pIuraIityof drums "fixedly carried by saidshaft, a plural- ;ity of cables for raising-and lowering said 190 fender, said cables being-secured atone end/to the fender andattheiropposite ends to said drums, a ratchet wheel fixedly.carriedlb y said shaft, a lever carrying fadoggffor engaging said ratchet, providing "means for turning said 5 drums thereby to raisesaidfender, and a second dog for preventing reverserotation of said ra'chet, said second-dog being' pivotal'ly mounted for quick disengagement "from the s I 8. In a vehiclesafetyYfeiidena fender made from a single substantiallyE shaped, piece of sheet meta-land including a plurality of hinge eyes for hingedly mounting saidfst'ructureto the front of an automobile, andexten'sion portions in the upper side thereof to xgu a'rd the' Q front wheels of said: automobile, and means.

for raising and lowering-saicl,.plateincluding straight-stretched cables 'from'the fenderto the operators compartment.

4. In a vehicle-sa'fetyfender, thecoihbination of a metal sheet structure hingedly mounted on thefront tie-bar joining the front spring structures of the automobile,-'said sheet structure having upward extensions at-lthe c115 sides thereof for guarding "the upperiportion of the -front wheels of an. automobile, :a pair of cables engagingan d forraising said sheet structure, and simultaneously revoluble I drums inside the automobile "for "taking up 1::- said cablesand raising said sheet structure.

"In testimony whereof I hereby aflix mysig- VG'IU-SEPPE .SANTANGELO. 

